On-Air Personalities : Music Hosts
Robert Hubert : host of Nocturne, Intermezzo and Atlanta Music Scene
Veteran classical personality Robert Hubert has served as WABE’s late night host on Nocturne * for many years, and in 2005 began hosting the station’s pre-opera showcase, *Intermezzo, on Saturday afternoons. In addition, Robert has brought “live” concerts from around metro Atlanta to WABE audiences via Atlanta Music Scene for over two decades. The program, which airs Monday evenings at 9:00, is hosted by Robert and produced by Tommy Joe Anderson of ACA Digital Recording. Funding is from the Georgia Council for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
In additional to his hosting duties, Robert helps maintain the WABE classical CD library and music database, which now contains many thousands of titles. As an operaphile, he has represented PBA at annual Broadcasters’ Weekend conferences, held at the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center in New York each winter since 2001; and, as host of a WABE-sponsored concert series at Clayton State’s Spivey hall, has introduced such luminaries as Deborah Voigt and Susan Graham.
Robert deplores what he considers to be a general lapse in music and arts education in the United States today, and hopes to continue bringing classical music — and vital information about the classics — to the people of Metro Atlanta.
H. Johnson : host, Jazz Classics
H. was raised in a musical household, with jazz surrounding him at an early age. He is a natural at piano, having been told he did not need lessons due to his keen ear and ability to improvise.
H. began his career in radio when WAOK launched a temporary ratings-boosting campaign that utilized the talents of surrounding high school students. After the gimmick had run its course, H. was hired as a permanent employee. He played the regular R & B hits, but always managed to include some of his jazz favorites. For twenty-one years, H. has been a fixture in Atlanta’s jazz scene on Saturday nights from 9:00 to 2:00 Sunday mornings.
Through the course of his passionate career with jazz, H. has been honored numerous times for his valuable contribution to the art form. He has also interviewed jazz greats such as Babs Gonzalez, Freddie Cole, Horace Silver, Eddie “Lock-Jaw” Davis, and Julian “Cannonball” Adderly. Not only does H. gain inspiration from the jazz greats, but finds the most flattering moments of his career to be when his favorite artists ask to be interviewed by him.
John Lemley : Assistant Program Director; host of City Cafe, Afternoon Classics and Tapestry
Each weekday at noon, John Lemley serves Atlanta “a plateful of classics and a variety of sides” on City Café. No novice to classical music, John selects the perfect blend of classical music, arts and culture during the one hour show. City Cafe is also the lunchtime place for NPR and BBC headlines, local commentary and the latest in what’s happening in and around Atlanta. Following City Café, John offers a hearty helping of Afternoon Classics from 1 to 3 pm with classical music, NPR news, weather, traffic and the Stargazer’s Journal. Weekdays with John are simply an oasis in the middle of your busy workday.
He is a Musical Theatre Performance graduate of Birmingham-Southern College. The Oneonta, Alabama native joined the staff of Public Broadcasting Atlanta in June 1997 after serving for five years as music director and afternoon classical music/news host at WBHM, Birmingham’s public radio station.
John lives in Decatur with his partner, Mike. They have two cats, Tillie and Lexie, and a dog, Jeffrey. John spends his free time researching the many branches of his family tree and also enjoys cookery. Although he doesn’t really cook, he loves collecting cookbooks and watching cooking programs on TV. Since meeting Mike, a classically-trained chef, he’s also had the chance to serve as sous chef, a position he holds only when at home.
Lois Reitzes : Program Director; host of Second Cup Concert and ASO Broadcasts
The distinctive voice of Lois Reitzes has been heard over WABE’s airwaves since 1979. Lois is Atlanta’s favorite classical Host. As host of the popular morning program Second Cup Concert, she selects music especially designed to complement your “second cup”. In addition to Cup, Lois produces and hosts WABE’s Atlanta Symphony Orchestra broadcasts and Spivey Soiree series. As program director From 1992-2007, she was responsible for the overall “sound” of the station. Lois became Director of Arts and Cultural Programming in 2007.
Lois pursued graduate study at Indiana University (Go Hoosiers!) School of Music in Bloomington. She lists her favorite exercise as reading - preferably while eating! Her favorite island getaway is Manhattan. Lois resides in Atlanta with husband Don and a dog named Cheaney named for CALBERT Cheaney — a favorite I.U. basketball player. The Reitzes’ have two children, Jackie and Michael.
